Kyle fumbled around the house, excited to get a day started. He missed doing the work and getting the adrenaline. What surprised him most was when Barrett asked to help. He thought that the work of that one day would have scared him into staying away, but geuss some things never change. Barrett was stubborn and definatly determained.

"Did . . Something happen?" Kyle asked over his shoulder as he was harvesting his newly rippened Tomatoes.

"No," Barrett replied nonchanlty

The day had gone by pretty slow. Kyle hadn't really said much to Barrett, and Barrett usually doesn't talk to much. In Messhina Vally, Kyle was surprised to see Barrett fighting monsters so skillfully. Kyle lent him an old sword, so he wouldn't be cornered by monsters. At first, he thought he was going to have to teach him use it, but Barrett obviously wasn't an amature at fighting.

"How come your so good at fighting monters?" Kyle sat next to Barrett as they relaxed on the edge of the river. Barrett shrugged,"I have alot of spare time"

"Why do you fight monsters with your spare time?"

"Just incase . ." Barrett mumbled, leaning back on his forearms.

"Just incase of what?"

Barrett smirked, and lifted a hand, pulling Kyles face down to his. Kyle blushed wildly as their lips closed on eachother and he let his eyes flutter clse before Barrett pulled away, a triumph grin on his face.

Kyle stood along the bank, a fishing line casted into the water. Barrett was now laying along the bank, his eyes closed and soft snores escaping his mouth. He averted his gaze to the cool reflection of the water, the suns rays bouncing off and glaring in his eyes.

"I like fish . . Salmon for example"

Kyle blinked a few times, remebering the old dream pass through his mind. Salmon . . Their hard to catch, he thought vaugly to himself before shaking that thought out. No, if Barrett wants Salmon, by Gods means he'll have one !

A few hours passed, and Barrett graoned as he rolled over, his eyes prying themselves open.

"What time is it?" A hand shot to cover his eyes from the sun directly about them

"Well . . We got here around Seven, so it's probably Twelve. Yup, Ten past" Kyle answered glancing at sun.

Barrett groaned again, sitting up. His sleepy gaze following the pole in Kyles hand gently streaming into the cool river.

"What are you -"

"I'm going to catch you a Salmon"

Barrett sat there dumbstruck, recollecting his words.

"Why?"

"Because you like them . . " Kyle blushed

A wave of joy shuddered through Barrett as he heard him say that. Slowly he stood up and walked over to the auburn hair boy and stroked his cheek with his thumb. Kyle looked up at him, and smiled as he leaned up and pressed their lips together. Slowly they pulled away from eachother, and Barrett shifted slighty, dipping his head back down and capturing Kyles lips again in a more fuller, passionate kiss. His mouth parting Kyles and slipping his tounge into the other boys willing mouth. A low, but sure growl sounded in the back of Barretts throat as Kyle passed his tounge over his. Barrett wrapped his arms around Kyles waist, pulling him closer to eachother. Blood flowed pounded in Barretts lower stomach and groin feeling it stiffen and expand. Kyles arms wrapped around Barretts neck, pressing their newly hardened erections together, making Barrett gasp breaking the kiss.

Kyles needy mouth travelled down his jawline, to a patch of skin under his ear and genly kissed around it before clamping his mouth over the moistened skin and sucking hard, his tounge flickering on and off the skin. Barrett moaned rocking his head back, his hands slowly making their way up Kyles shirt, touching the planes of his abs and chest and coming to a stop on a hardened nipple gently strocking it. Kyle dropped the fishing pole and pulled away from the fresh mark on Barretts skin and hungerly brought their lips together again.

The fishing pole started to slide forward towards the flowing river and a gray salmon leaped from the water. Kyle pulled away from the kiss and dove for the pole, pulling in his catch. Securing it in his hands, a wide, triumph grin on his face as he faced Barrett who stood there and smiled.

"Thanks," Barrett took the fish in one arm and wrapped Kyle - more then willingly obliged - in the other.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Walking out of Messhina Vally, Kyle hults to stop. His chocolate eyes wide and diluted, and his breaths coming and going in gasps.

"Kyle !" Barrett shakes him violently attepmting to get him out of the trance before a shocking pain stuns him to the ground, quick flashes of Zenuka, her blood-lust eyes smiling evily.

"Barrett !" Yoshiko soon appeared at his side, her weapon - the golden sword - at her beak 'n call. A hard pain clasped down on his chest, which he quickly grasped at and curled into the ground.

"Barrett you need to breath, slow and deep," Yoshiko coaxed him from the side, still in a defensive stance. Barrett did what she said, finding the pain start to dull and his lungs felt closed. Coughing heavily into his hand, his eyes widened at the sight of his blood staining them. Kyle seeped into his memory and he ignored his own problem and looked around him. He was no where to be seen.

"Wheres Kyle?"

"He's still with you, this is a protection seal I've implaced around you when Zenuka gets to close. He is inside too, but . . ."

"Keep going," Barret looked up at her changless face.

"I don't garuntee that he is fully safe, closing the barriar now would be harmful to him. Zenuka was trying to possess him, so the chances of her being inside Kyle which is inside the barriar is very likely. This barriar is created to keep Zenuka at a distance and perhaps destroy her, or at the very least harm her to an extent. If she is inside Kyle . . I'm sure you can imagine the delimma that puts Kyle in".

Barrett gulped, coming to the heart-clenching conclusion.

"He'll be destroyed with her"

Barrett closed his eyes, fustrated and put his head down, clenching at the earth. He gritted his teeth as if endorsing some kind of pain.

A sudden grip on his wrist pulls him up from the earth harshly, and Yoshicko begins to pull him to the end of the barriar.

"Wha-"

"Zenuka, if you destroy the boy you will not have your imortality," Yoshiko tried presuading the other end of the barriar which Zenuka - probably - was.

"Who said I was to destroy the boy? Here, you can have him back !" A ripping sound started to growl as the barrair pulsed and flashed a bright white, making Yoshiko and Barrett close their eyes and block them from the blinding light. Soon Kyle was seen stumbling out of the emitting light that started to fade away, as the barriar dissolved revealing the Falling Stars Path again.

"Kyle!" Barrett jumped up and caught him before he fell he was unconcious and looked strangly pale. Barrett lifted his unbelievable light body off the ground with no ease.

"We have to get him back to the house"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Something didn't feel right, he knew he was safe in Barretts arms but he felt strange, uncomfortable and awekrad. Kyle shifted about trying to fit in with his surroundings but feeling the task become futile. When he opened his eyes to look around it was all black exept for a tall, oval full body mirror that was placed infront of him. Confused he walked over to it and gasped at the reflection. A image of the girl with ebony hair and crisom eyes mirrored back to him. Hesitantly he brought his hand up and touched it, the movment being copied by the refletion.

"What are you doing?" He asked, feeling foolish.

Zenuka smiled evily and pressed up to the glass, which she soon pushed past until her upper-half of her body was out of the mirror. Her dark eyes stared up at him, mockingly. Soon she stepped out of the mirror and Kyle felt a seizer of trembles and shudders begin through his body. She stepped closer to him, before his legs gave out and he collasped to the ground. The closer she got the heavier the air around them felt, the thick air constricting his lungs.

"I need you to be sleeping for a little while longer," Zenuka whispered sweetly in his ear.

"Why?"

Kyle didn't know why, but he got the strange feeling that she had smirked to his queston. He felt her lips clap over his neck and a pair of long, sharp teeth sunk into his skin. Kyle yelled out in pain, his whole shoulder felt like it was going to be crushed, before a numb feeling passed through him. He felt her pull away, and she was now face to face with him, her mouth dripping with his blood.

"I'm going to borrow your body," Zenuka smiled before she moved her head to his neck again.

"Sleep tight"

"Whats wrong with him !" Barrett yelled as Kyle shook violently and screamed again.

"It is Zenuka. She is in his head -" Yoshiko replied, holding down the boys arms. Her eyes widened and the quietest of gasps could be heard from her lips. A marking suddenly appeared on the skin of his neck, a snake slightering slowly down his arm and wrapping around his shoulders.

"The mark . . He's been sealed," Yoshiko gulped as Barrett stared at the slightering snake.

"This is not good. We must try and stop it from progressing," she said, pushing Kyle up.

"What does the mark mean?" Barrett asked, confused.

"It means that she has slowly started to gain control of him. Her mark on him only means that she can control and corrupt him. This is the second step before gaining his soul," Yoshiko replied, pulling off Kyles shirt and examining the extent of the mark around his arm.

"How are we going to stop it?"

Yoshiko was quiet for a long time before she finally replied.

"I must seal him with my own powers . .But -" Yoshiko was hesitant which was unusual. She seemed fearful and lost, when her usual character was calm and collected.

"If I seal him, I will lose my powers. That is the differance between me and Zenuka. She can seal a hundred times over and never loose an ounce of energy, but if I were to I would lose everything".

"Why?"

"Because, our creaters are different. Hers is menacing and believes power to be used for her to corrupt. Mine is passionate, our power is used to save people, and in doing so we must lose it in order to save them".

"Then . .You can get more after right? If you use it, you'll be saving him," Barrett said, hoping the situation would be easy to solve.

Yoshiko shook her head solomly, "I loose my power to save, if I gain it back I will be taking it from the one I saved. I'm sure Zenuka knew this, if she sealed him I would have to be forced to break her sealment with my own and loose my power, and then she -"

"She can take Kyle's soul because you'll be out of her way," Barrett finished for her coming to the same conclusion.

"We must not risk losing all of his soul. Zenuka's sealment will only comtrol a portion, this will pass and he will wake up," Yoshiko said, putting Kyles shirt back on and laying him down on the bed. Barrett sat next to him and stroked his pale cheek. Yoshiko bowed, understanding that Barrett needed time alone, before she shut the door quietly behind her.

"Kyle . . Please wake up. We have to get through this . .Together," Barrett laced their fingers. Kyle started to violently shake again Barrett pinned his flying arms down

"Yoshiko ! He's having the tremours again!" Barrett yelled, and Yoshiko was there instantly holding Kyles legs.

When Kyle woke up again, he was underwater. Gasping he quickly swam up to the surface that had been violently shooken with waves.

"Kyle. . .Please wake up. We have to get through this. . Together". His hand felt engolfed in warmth, even when he was in freezing water.

He heard the echoing voice coming from the other end where a sliver of light broke through the dark and violent surface.

"Who is that? They sound so . . Familuar." Kyle asked outloud before being pulled under by the strong currents. He started swimming towards the light, knowing that it would be safe.

Yoshiko started to get flashes of Kyle, in the crashing, cold waters. He was swimming before he stopped and looked around, confused.

"Where are you? Please, come back !" She screamed the exact words Kyle had.

"Yoshiko?" Barrett asked, confused. "Who are you talking to?"

"Please come back ! Help me ! I - I can't . ." Yoshiko started to choke, as Kyle got dragged under water again. Tears streamed down her eyes, as she struggled for breath again "call out again !"

Barrett stared at Yoshiko shocked, "what do you mean? Whats wrong?"

Yoshiko was quiet again, her sobs filling the silence.

"Call out again" a voice in the back of Barretts mind urged him.

"Kyle ! Kyle hang in there !"

"Kyle ! Kyle hand in there !" The voice pleaded him. His eyes lit up and he started swimming towards it again.

"Please keep talking" he begged as he battled with the continuous tides and currents.

"Please keep talking," Yoshiko said finally sounding calm again.

Barrett glanced at Kyle then at Yoshiko. Is she . . Telling me what Kyle is?

"Kyle . . Kyle, love please keep going ! I need you ! If you leave me . . If I loose you . .I don't know what I'll do ! Please Kyle, don't give up ! Come back to me !"

"Keep going . . .Come back to me !" The voice encouraged him, and his mind suddenly poured out memories of another man, brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. Barrett.

"Barrett ! I remembered ! I'm coming ! I'll come back to you !" Kyle cried out, kicking harder against the cold currents. His legs going numb and his lungs sore.

"Kyle you better not die on me !" Barrett warned him gripping Kyles shoulders. He pulled him up, hugged him, kissed him and then shook him.

"Don't die on me damnit !"

Kyle smiled, hearing the echo of words finally fill his world.

"Don't count on it," he swam harder against the current, cold water stinging at his numb body. He knew he should have given up along time ago, that this was an impossible feat but he couldn't. After hearing Barrett's voice he had to keep pushing himself towards the sliver of light cracking the dark world. He felt a warm sensation heat up his body, urging him to hurry and get out.

"I'm coming".

"Hurry up damnit !" Barrett clencthed his teeth together, Kyles body was going ice cold. He knew that if Kyle didn't get out of where ever he was he was going to die. Barrett clasped his hands over Kyles and put his head down, feeling overcome and beaten,"hurry up".

Kyle was almost there now, he could see the shore and feel the current let up, he kicked faster and then he finally felt the floor beneath his feet. He didn't know how exausted he was until he managed to start walking out of the water and his body collasped, his legs trembling. The tides started to take him back out to the endless water but he forced his weak body up again. Finally making it to the end, the slit of light looking more like a gaping mouth. Slowly he steps towards it.

"I'm there . . ".

"Your there? What do you mean?" Barrett asked, snapping his head up as he heard Yoshiko's whisper before she gasped and her diluted dark eyes were bright blue again.

She blinked before looking at Barrett, her eyes wide.

"Kyle, he was in a sea and he was drowning ! Then he started to swim and now he's . . He's stopping," she said trying to convey the images to him.

"Where is he?"

"He's-"

Kyle's back arched and his trembleing started again. His legs and arms waved around crazily and and his sheirking crys peirced the air. Barrett moved to his wrists and pinned them down as Yoshiko pinned his legs down.

"Barrett, I'm sure he's went into the light. Thats where he was last, you need to talk to him".

Barrett breathed in slowly brought his lips to Kyles ears, talking in a whisper.

"Kyle, I know you went through alot to get where you are, but you need to keep going. You can't be scared now. You've come . . We've come to far for you to turn back. Just keep going and I'll be by your side. I promise you," Barrett kissed his cheek and leaned back up feeling the seizers coming to an end. Kyle was still again, his chest had stopped heaving.

"Damnit !" Barrett flung himself down ontop of Kyles breathless, cold body. He felt the tears sting at his eyes, but they wouldn't flow. They never did, they only stung his face as they held themselves in. It was something the tears were trained to do since he was little, he was stubbon and refused to show any emotion of his mothers death and betrayal. Even now, his stubborness refused him to weep a shead of a tear for his love.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the mans chest. He lifted his head to Kyles relaxed one, and placed hisforhead on his.

"I'm sorry I can't cry for you," Barrett whispered, he slowly brought his lips down the Kyles. Tasting them for the last time.

Barrett stood up and looked over at Yoshiko before looking averting his gaze to the ground and closing his eyes in frustration. Why Kyle? He didn't do anything wrong!

Kyle heard Barretts tender voice again, pressed on his ears.

"I'm sorry . . I can't cry for you"

Cry for me? What is he saying? Am I . .I'm not right? Kyle asked over and over, looking around frantically.

No! I can't be! I can't leave him. I'm not going to leave anyone! I'm not going to die!

"Barrett, he's breathing again!"

Barretts head snapped up and he reclaimed his spot next to Kyle. He stroked his cheek gently as the other boys eyes finally fluttered open.

"Oh God!" Barrett sighed in relief, he heard Yoshiko's sigh aswell. He knew Kyle probably couldn't see her.

Kyle rubbed his eyes and looked around "I'm back . .".

"Yeah. Are you alright?"

"I feel really exsuahted and all groggy like . ."

"You need to rest. Your freezing cold, I'll go make some -" Barrett felt a tug at his shirt when he started to get up. Kyles weak hand grasping at the cloth.

"Stay by my side until I fall asleep . . ."

Barrett smiled and sat back down replacing his shirt with his hand inbetween Kyles.

"I will be by your side no matter where that will be. Until the end".

Authors Note:

Sorry for the really late upload. It was because this was so long and finals are here (Blah)

So I tried making this a more dramatic chapter, but I lack in that department - this is why your reviews are GREATLY appreciated. So I'm going to make a total OC for Barretts mom on the next chapter (whoops was that giving it away?) so don't worry the confusion will let up.

This story is coming to an end, and it's been so long! Oh good news by the way, I FINALLY - after searching the entire city - found a rune factory 2 game at - I cannot believe this - Walmart! I know crazy right!

So I will have MUCH better refrancing now. I will keep my uploads every week again, seeing as finals end this week. But now I have to go to work. So enjoy and remeber . . .REVIEW!!!

Cassie